Introduction

Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) activities help to create in Europe a fertile ground forresponsible and dynamic multi-disciplinary collaborations on future and emerging technologies andfor kick-starting new European research and innovation eco-systems around them. These will be theseeds for future industrial leadership and for tackling society's grand challenges in new ways. FETfocuses on research beyond what is known, accepted or widely adopted and supports novel andvisionary thinking to open promising paths towards radically new technological possibilities. Inparticular, FET funds interdisciplinary collaborations that seek genuine cross-fertilisation and deepsynergies between the broadest range of advanced sciences (including the life sciences, socialsciences and humanities) and cutting-edge engineering disciplines.The action FET Proactive addresses promising directions for research on future technologies inorder to build up a European critical mass of knowledge and excellence around them.

Objectives of the call

Proposals should address research and innovation activities, aimed at jointly exploring directionsand options to establish a solid baseline of knowledge and skills, and to foster the emergence of abroader innovation ecosystem for a new technology as well as a fertile ground for its future take-up.Among the open topics, health research falls within the following area:

- Biotech for better life

1. Intra- and inter-cell bio-technologies: new technologies to enable the study and engineering ofprocesses within and between biological cells, and their exploitation for purposes such as sensing, signalling, imaging, regulating, curing or for mimicking or re-engineering the intra- and inter-cellphysics and dynamics. This can include the use of natural cells, optimised, therapeutic andcompound, synthetic ones or combinations of these, as well as cell-free techniques. Where needed,multiscale mathematical modelling and computational simulation can be included.

2. Bio-electronic medicines and therapies: using adaptive nerve or brain stimulation for preciseregulatory control of organs or other biological processes inside the human body, in order to restoreor maintain healthy conditions. This includes technologies for bio-electronic medicines, drug-freetherapies, adaptive drug release, closed-loop BNCI, more invasive stimulation, or development ofneurotransmitter sensor/actuator systems, all within a setting of personalised and adaptive medicineand the tight integration of diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities (theranostics). A ResponsibleResearch and Innovation approach, including aspects of ethics, as well as social science andhumanities should be taken into account.

3.Cognitive neuro-technologies: integrated interdisciplinary approaches combining theory andnovel technology-based experiments for understanding the circuits and pathways of higher-levelcognitive functions (such as navigation, goal-oriented behaviour, motivation and reward, memory,knowledge and belief formation, reasoning and decision making, emotion, interaction,communication), the related principles of neural coding and operation within and between brainregions and the role of the physical and social/cultural environment in bringing them about.Proposals should focus on non-validated, leading-edge methodologies and technologies specificallyrelevant to cognitive neuroscience. Target applications could include, for example, adaptive humaninterfaces, specific brain interfaces and neuro-prosthetics to restore or support cognitive functionsor to address unmet therapeutic needs.

Eligible applicants and Countries

The call is open to the participation of any legal entity located in the EU Member States or othercountries associated to the programme. The list of the associated countries and other eligiblecountries is available in the general annex to the work programme.The projects must involve a minimum of 3 participating organisations from 3 different countries.

Funding

The amount of the grant will be between a minimum of 4 million and a maximum of 10 millionEuro. Funding rate: 100%.The total funding budget for the area “Biotech for better life” is of approximately 30 million euro.

Deadline

12 April 2016

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In case of interest please contact the Research Support Office (Leonor Norton lnorton@fsjd.org, recerca@fsjd.org).